


Baby Boy

by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto



Series: Puzzle Pieces [5]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Crossdressing, Cute, Everyone loves Neil, F/F, F/M, Fire, Fluff, Happy Foxes, How Neil became 'Baby Boy', I see you Aaron, M/M, Multi, NOT NEIL, Neil loves everyone, New Wardrobe, Who allowed me to make tags, burn - Freeform, the foxes - Freeform, they are happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 16:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14697537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto/pseuds/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto
Summary: Nicky and Allison take Neil to give him a lasting image of his own. Neil realizes it's about more than what he looks like.It's about the family he found in the Foxes.





	Baby Boy

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a prequel to In Which...
> 
> This work was betaed by my friend [mishaschmidt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishaschmidt)

The first time Neil had ridden in Allison’s convertible, it had been pink and they weren’t really friends yet. _This_ convertible was custom made in Fox orange, as a ‘fuck you’ to the Ravens fans that destroyed her original one. Neil really likes the color and does not care about much for the rest of it.

“If we’re going to be friends, baby boy, we’re getting you into a proper wardrobe, so I won’t be embarrassed to call you my friend.” Allison flicks her turn signal on with her perfectly manicured fingers, looking picture perfect as always with Neil in his typically awful clothes and Nicky in the backseat, sporting the biggest smile.

“‘Baby boy’?” Neil raises a brow at the nickname, used to the jabs at his clothing. Although Andrew tries to dress him all the time, he is used to his inconspicuous clothing and not so much the goth wardrobe Andrew puts him in. Even Kevin has taken to throwing his own hoodie at him, ‘to hide his shame’. Asshole… some boyfriend he is.

“No more thrift store clothing for you!” Nicky agrees, leaning forward between the seats, ignoring his seatbelt in favor of being in on the conversation. He reaches over and toys with Neil's overly long curls, happy that Erik had given him permission to bond with Neil.

“Or anything off-brand. I will rip them off of you and burn them.” Allison is very serious and her Gucci sunglasses making her look more intense when she says this.

For a moment, Neil feels a sense of dread wash over him.

 

\---

 

“Why are men’s clothes so… blech!” Nicky pouts while sorting through the pile of maybes that he and Allison had gathered, but so far, no dice. A shirt and skinny jeans are pulled out and he stands behind Neil in front of a three-way mirror, holding them to the redhead's body. “Nothing even fits your height matched with ‘dem thick runner thighs. Just- Allison! This is a  _p r o b l e m_.” He drops the clothes to the ground without care and returns to the pile.

“This is why I shop at thrift stores,” Neil blinks, picking up the clothes Nicky dropped after a moment and drapes them over a collection rack. “It fits, I buy it. Done.”

“You’re not on the run anymore, you have zero excuses to look like a homeless child.” Allison returns, arms loaded with a mix of soft materials in black and pastels. “Hemmick-”

“Jesus Allison,” Nicky groans, dropping the clothes he was sorting through. “Say it with me NIH-key. Nicky! My name is Nicky!”

Allison scoffs and shoves the armload of clothes into his arms. “Okay, _Nicky_ , get rid of that crap,” she flicks her hand at the pile of men’s clothing on the floor and the counter that they commandeered. “He’s tiny and pretty, he can pull this off. I know it.”

“Perfect!” Nicky’s screech isn’t anything compared to Allison’s, but he’s a close second.

Neil turns around and stares at the pastel-colored, flowy top in her hands and a pair of black leggings in the other. Oh boy.

 

\---

 

“Why are we doing this again?” Neil asks for possibly the dozenth time, arms weighed down by the many shopping bags filled with clothes and shoes that Allison had bought for him.

 

_‘I can pay for it myse-’_

_‘This is a fashion crime and I’m bailing you out. Shut up and take it.’_

 

“Everyone deserves to see how beautiful and perfect you are!” Nicky swoons, carrying several bags of his own, with his cell phone in his other hand, texting.

“And you’re going to California soon, you can’t go, representing us looking like that,” Allison states, not carrying _any_ bags, sipping on the iced coffee she’d bought on the way through the mall.

“Seventeen,” Neil deadpans, looking up at the shoe store in front of which Allison has stopped.

“Hm?” Nicky turns to him at the same time Allison does.

“You have insulted my style seventeen times during this trip alone.”

“Can’t insult what doesn’t exist!” Allison flips her curls over her shoulder, sauntering into the shoe store.

Nicky is giggling uncontrollably, holding his stomach. When Neil sighs, he throws his arm around his shoulders only giving him a short kiss on his temple since they were still sorting out the arrangement which Erik had presented him and Neil. “Come on baby boy, we’re just looking out for our favorite loud mouth!”

“I don’t understand that nickname,” Neil admits, carefully shifting the bags in his hold. They are leaving indents on his arms, making his newest scars twing with pain.

“It’s a pet name!” Nicky looks down to find Neil’s lost expression and laughs. “Don’t worry about it! Come on,” he pulls Neil along with him into the store.

Even though he doesn’t understand the pet name, Neil lets himself be pulled along. When he tries to tell them he doesn’t need five different pairs of shoes they shush him and he gives up.

 

\---

 

“This is going a little overboard, don’t you think?” Neil looks at his group of friends in the middle of Palmetto’s parking lot, standing around a metal trash can with his old clothes and duffel bag shoved inside. _Andrew_ of all people is dousing everything inside with lighter fluid.

“No, it really isn’t.”

“Coach!?” Neil whips his head over to find Wymack looming nearby, a smirk on his face. Abby at his side, waving at him with her fingers.

“Sorry baby boy, we can’t take the risk.” Nicky throws his arm over Neil’s shoulders again, practically shoving a hovering Kevin away from him.

Neil isn’t sure if Andrew froze momentarily because of Nicky touching him - despite the agreement they have - or because of the nickname, which he doesn’t get it either.

“It was the saddest first meeting I’ve ever had with someone, seeing you all lonesome with your one bag with six outfits.” Matt reminisces with Dan tucked against him.

“...Eight…” Neil argues pathetically, watching as Andrew empties the last of the lighter fluid into the trash can, haphazardly tossing the empty tin over his shoulder.

“You?” Andrew snorts. “I had to pick him up from the airport looking like that.”

“I _lived_ with him for over a month,” Wymack counters, grinning when Abby nudges him.

“Guys, guys,” Allison interrupts. “I dropped a grand on him this weekend. I win.”

Neil groans and his friends laugh. It really isn’t a big deal and he _really_ didn’t want Allison to spend all that money on him.

 

_‘Clothes of quality last longer.’_

_‘Yeah, you’re not going anywhere either.’_

 

“Can we get this over with?” Kevin sighs, brushing his knuckles over the back of Neil’s hand to get the redhead to look up to him. Allison and Nicky had given him a full makeover, complete with a new haircut, the sides and back shaved down with a mop of strategically styled messy curls on the top. His big blue eyes are outlined in black and his toned body is wrapped up in soft clothes, leggings, and a loose fitted, pale colored tops. Kevin has to look away, a blush darkening his russet skin.

“Did anyone bring marshmallows?” Aaron surprisingly pipes up, hearing the sound of a zippo lighter flick open. Therapy over the past five months has been… interesting, to say the least. That and Katelyn being a cheerleader both on the court and at his side, encouraging him every step of the way. He looks at her, where she stands a little bit behind him. When their eyes meet, she smiles brilliantly.

“Damn it! I knew we were forgetting something,” Matt whined.

“I blame you for this,” Andrew looks over at Neil as he lights a twisted up bit of paper on fire.

Neil’s brow pinches. “For the mars-”

 

FWOOM!

 

When Andrew had tossed the paper into the garbage can, the inside of the metal tin engulfed in flames suddenly, making some of the Foxes step back. The flames are hot and for a moment Neil tenses the second smoke hits his nose. With his eyes locked on Andrew’s, he freezes this moment of him standing by a garbage can with flames burning too high and face expressionless and he relaxes.

It takes a moment for Neil to realize that some of his friends are cheering about burning his clothes and duffel bag. He hears one of the say ‘baby boy can’t leave us now’ and it hits him like a speeding train _-or an exy racquet to the abdomen_.

It wasn’t about his fashion sense being terrible. It wasn’t about him carrying his things around in an old, tattered duffel bag with only eight outfits to choose from. Not about him being an embarrassment to the Foxes.

It was about him finding a family in the Foxes that didn’t want any reminder of his old life around to tempt him to ever run again. Neil smiles shyly and looks around at his friends and watches coach Wymack and Aaron bring over a couple buckets of water each, dousing the garbage can until the flames die down, grey smoke billowing out of the can slowly. He watches the smoke rise out of it and feels at peace.

“Time to celebrate the new you, baby boy!” Nicky cheers and his phone comes out of nowhere. “Smile!” Nicky holds Neil from behind, presses their cheeks together and snaps a selfie, kissing his cheek after. “Erik’s gonna love it!”

“Us next!” Dan zips over with Matt, the two of them squeezing Neil in a tight hug. Neil vibrating from the affectionate kisses they press to his face while the picture is taken.

They are immediately replaced by Allison pulling him to her, resting his head on her busty chest. Renee leaning in with her hands linked behind her back and beaming when Allison takes the picture. “Remember, you wear anything but designer clothes, I will rip them off and burn them.”

“I know Allison.” Neil laughs nervously, knowing that she’s being serious. Still, he accepts the kiss to his forehead from her and Renee’s smile flashed his way, unsurprised when they step away.

He is a bit shocked when Katelyn drags Aaron over to him next, sandwiching him between herself and Aaron. He is even more surprised when Aaron - a bit reluctantly- places an arm around his waist, and Katelyn does the same. He even softens his usual scowl when Katelyn says-

“Smile!” Katelyn snaps the photo with her cell phone, her smile far more brilliant than both Neil and Aaron's. She envelopes Neil in a hug after, kissing his cheek. “Thank you…” she whispers.

Neil just smiles in return when they part. He was honestly glad to help the twins work on their relationship.  Glad to have her as a friend now, especially since she makes Aaron happy and that translated to him looking at Neil in a different light, growing in therapy.

“Try not to cause us any more problems, yeah Josten?” Aaron suggests, cocking his brow at him.

“He will,” Andrew answers for him, stepping into Neil's space. “It is in his nature, a reflex.”

Neil grins and lifts one shoulder in a shrug. He feels Kevin at his back and happily sinks into his embrace, smiling when Kevin kisses his hair.

“He wouldn't be our baby boy if he didn't cause problems,” Kevin murmurs.

Andrew gives Kevin a flat look and tugs lightly on one of Neil's curls. “No more pissing off people in the mob.”

Neil laughs and mutters a quiet ‘ow’ when Kevin pinches his side and Andrew tugs harder on his hair. “No promises.”

“We'll take it,” Andrew smirks.

Neil smiles and closes his eyes, surrounded by his Fox family. He's never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I should let you know why Neil crossdresses...
> 
> and myself actually. XD
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! I love my Foxes being happy... I just wish my son could be here... sigh... too bad he's dead and an asshole... Oh, Riko...
> 
> I have the Jean(and Jeremy!) arch and Aaron arch I intend to get out after Fox Hunt is done.
> 
> Anyways! 
> 
> Kudos and Comments are so very much appreciated! <3 Thank you!!!


End file.
